Fireworks
by pockyglutton
Summary: Natsu once again has asked Lucy to meet him in the park, but this time Lucy isn't getting her hopes up for anything romantic. However, she will be surprised by what he actually has in store for her. . . For NaLu week 2014, Prompt 6.


_Fireworks: a NaLu Fic_

_Effulgence: a radiant brilliance_

He was supposed to meet her an hour ago.

"Where is he?" Lucy leaned against the trunk of the big tree in Southgate Park. The sky was already burning a dim orange. This morning, Natsu had asked her to meet him. What was taking that boy? She sighed.

"Hey, Lu-chan!" Lucy turned her head towards the voice. Her heart sunk a little when she saw it was only Levy, accompanied by Cana. "Are you waiting for a date? He didn't stand you up, did he?"

"Yeah, 'cause if he did, just know we have your back." Cana cracked her knuckles, making Lucy shakily giggle.

"That's not necessary guys. Besides, it's just Natsu." Biting her lip, Lucy thought back to the last time Natsu had asked to meet her here. She had gotten all dressed up and he had wanted to dig a hole. She definitely would not get her hopes up. _But a date with Natsu would be nice. Not like that would ever happen_.

"WHAT?" Levy's shriek sent a jolt through Lucy, launching her at least two feet into the air. "You and Natsu are going on a date?"

"No! What?" After Levy voiced her suspicions, Lucy's eyes widened and none of her words could make it past her throat. "H-he just asked me to meet him at the park." Crossing her arms over her chest, she propped herself against the tree once more. She waited for the pounding in her chest to slow before speaking. "He probably wants my help with a prank. Something like sticking fridge magnets on Gajeel or pissing off Laxus or pushing a watery Juvia into a pissed-off Laxus." She pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth and scrunched up her nose. Natsu sure as hell better not drag her into one of his stupid schemes.

"Heh, then you're awfully dressed up to go and play pranks." Cana smirked, placing a hand on her jutted out hip.

Lucy's eyes became unfocused and started flitting all over, avoiding both Cana and Levy's gazes. She glanced down at her outfit—she didn't remember spending any more effort than usual to dress up this afternoon. However, her slinky dress begged to differ. God, it was even cherry red. Didn't she read somewhere that the color red makes the wearer appear more sexually attractive? Her chest started to heave. Why, of all the random facts in the world, did that one pop up first? It wasn't like she was trying to appear sexually attractive to Natsu! Right? And even if she was, she doubted wearing a new dress would have any effect on the boy. A bead of sweat rolled off her chin. Great, she hadn't even caught a glimpse of him and she's already starting to sweat.

"Hey, are you alright?" Cana's smirk faded and she stepped toward Lucy. "I was just teasing. Is something bothering you?"

"No—nothing! Um, weren't you guys headed somewhere?" With each word, Lucy's voice pitched higher and higher. "Oh, look at the time! Wouldn't want to be late. In fact, I might start walking to the guild now!" She started walking backwards away from the two. "I'll see you guys at the guild—ah!" Lucy turned around and bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I—Natsu?"

"Lucy?"

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. For one, Natsu was actually wearing a proper shirt. Not just a t-shirt either—a white button down that was somehow neatly tucked into pants that looked fit for a job interview. She didn't even know he owned clothes like that. And he seemed to be hiding something behind his back.

_No. It can't be._

"These are for you." Natsu shoved a bundle of flowers, hastily wrapped in white paper, at Lucy.

_It can. Flowers? God, what is happening?_

"How nice." Lucy gingerly took the makeshift bouquet from Natsu, her fingers briefly brushing against his. She almost dropped the flowers right then and there. "What's the occasion?" At the edge of her vision, she caught Levy and Cana huddled together staring at her and Natsu intently. The feeling of the two boring holes in the back of her head with their eyes made her hair stand on end. "Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Lucy's turned around and yelled at Levy and Cana, her eye twitching.

The two just shared a look and started to chuckle. Cana calmed down first after three straight minutes of laughing.

"We get it, Lucy. You want to be alone with your _date_." Did Cana just waggle her eyebrows at her? Lucy felt like ripping out her carefully styled hair.

"Yeah, we see how it is." And Levy just _winked_ at her! Gosh, these two were getting on her nerves. "We won't be bothering you anymore." Levy started pulling Cana away, giving Lucy a wave over her shoulder. "Have fun!"

Lucy buried her face in the bouquet. She didn't know if she was hiding from Natsu or the girls more.

"Use protection!"

Just when things couldn't get any worse. _Screw you, Cana_. Lucy clutched the flowers tighter, her knees and stomach sinking to the ground. "Um, Natsu? Can we go now?"

x~x~x~x~x~x

"So, what did you want to show me?" Lucy played with the petals on the bouquet while keeping pace with Natsu along the canal. She actually hadn't made eye contact with him since Cana's embarrassing comment. "It must be something good. You were an hour late." She took the chance to glance at him from under lowered eyelashes.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck, and muttered something under his breath. ". . . Complications."

"Oh." Complications? What the hell was he planning, anyway? "Well, it better not be one of your pranks."

"Don't worry, it's nothing that'll ruin your nice clothes." Natsu's voice was surprisingly light, laced with a slightly teasing lilt.

A hand went to Lucy's brightening cheek. "I didn't think you noticed." _I hardly noticed!_ A not-entirely unpleasant stirred in the pit of her stomach. _What does this mean?_

Natsu cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. "You know, you didn't have to dress up." His eyes glided over the straps and the detailing on the skirt. "But it's nice."

If she blushed anymore, Lucy would've turned the same color as her dress. Already, she must be as pink as Natsu's hair. "Thanks. You look nice, too." She gave an appreciative scan over his body, lingering on the undone buttons near his collar. _Really nice_. A spinning feeling started up at the top of her head, and she felt that she might float away.

They spent the next few moments in silence, neither one sure how to approach the other anymore. Lucy searched her mind for some way to clear the heavy air of awkwardness between them. _Crap. Nothing._ "You, um, have been acting kinda weird today. What's up?" She bluffed.

"Weird? What—no! Everything's Ay–okay, Luce!" He slung an arm over her shoulders and punctuated each word with a pat on the back. "You're the weirdo. I've hardly seen your face since you keep hiding behind those flowers I gave you!"

_Oh yeah. He freaking got me flowers!_

"I'm trying to be serious here, Natsu. Did I miss something? Did something happen?" Natsu's arm was really starting to weigh down on her, and Lucy was torn between shrugging him off, or letting him stay there and pressing into him.

"Nothing happened. Everything's great! Look, we're already at the guild!" Natsu took her by the shoulders. "Here, could you move a second?"

"Natsu, what are you trying to do?" Lucy stepped a bit to the side while Natsu led her.

"Just a little more. . . " Natsu guided her until she was facing the lake. The moon already hung low in the sky, slowing climbing higher with the stars.

"Natsu, it's already dark. Stop playing around show me what you brought me here for!" Lucy squirmed in Natsu's grip, growing impatient.

"Stay still! Now, what do you see?" Natsu kept his hands on Lucy's arms, but he loosened his hold slightly. With his eyebrows raised and mouth stretched into a grin, he waited for Lucy's reaction.

Lucy's eyes narrowed at the night sky and she pressed her mouth into a hard line, unimpressed. It was the usual water, with the usual stars in the sky, though the moon was full. "There's nothing there." She blew out a harsh breath and started to turn around to head into the guild hall. "If that's all you have to show me. . ."

"No, wait!" Natsu grasped her hand and pulled her back, making her come to her soft halt. "Look, I know it might look like I'm playing around." He spun her around so that he could meet her eyes. "But, I swear, Luce. If you could just wait for one more minute, you will s—"

_Boom._

Behind Natsu, off in the horizon, a stream of sparks shot high into the sky. It twinkled, and then exploded in a starburst of reds and golds, crackling and sizzling.

"Oh my, God." _Fireworks!_ Lucy's eye's shifted from Natsu's pleading expression to the shower of flares above his head. "Wow." She gaped.

Natsu swung around so that he stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Once he saw what she was marveling at, he broke out in a wide grin. "See? It _was_ worth seeing."

Lucy's shoulders started bob up and down as she giggled. "So you knew about this?"

"Knew about it?" Natsu puffed out his chest. "I was the brains behind this whole thing!"

"Really? Brains? The _whole_ thing?" Lucy teased.

Natsu slumped his shoulders slightly. "Okay, maybe I had some help from Romeo and Nudie McStripper Pants. But look!" He pointed at the sky to a blue and yellow burst. The sparks floated outwards and started to form the letter "L," then "U," then "C" and "Y."

"My. . . name?" Lucy's eye grew wide and her heart started to pound in her chest. "What's the occasion?"

"Keep watching." Natsu took her hand in his and linked their fingers. His hand was warm in hers, like there was a flame flickering beneath his skin. Not an inferno, but a lit candle. She wonders if the rest of him is as warm. Something in her belly fluttered at the thought. Would she ever find out?

_Boom! Boom!_

Lucy turns her head to look at the sky once more. The fireworks that just went off were the most brilliant yet. The bursts shimmered gold, so bright that it was as if the stars had come down to spell the message: _Happy Birthday!_

"Natsu. . . " Her lip quivered as tears started to spill over her already misty eyes.

"Do you like it?" Natsu took her other hand, so that he faced her completely. And then she did something he never thought she would.

"You idiot." She tugged him closer and drew his face near hers. Her lips brushed his cheek, just barely grazing the corner of his mouth in the process. Pulling herself back, she searched his gaze for any hint of a reaction. _Did he not like it?_ Blood rushed to her head, dizzy at the possibility.

Fortunately, her fears were quickly alleviated when Natsu slides his arm around her waist and does something _she_ never thought he would do.

"You call that a kiss?" He whispers, his warm breath tickling her cheek. And then he presses their lips together.

Lucy can't tell if the sparks that fly are from the kiss or the fireworks going off above their heads. She doesn't care; she just huddled closer to him. After a moment, he releases her, but then draws her right back into his arms for a hug. Lucy smiles and nuzzles her nose into the crook of his neck. _Wow. . ._ Natsu's lips tickle her earlobe as he whispers to her.

"Happy Birthday, Luce."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, was I the only one who saw the sixth prompt and immediately thought of fireworks? I don't know, maybe it was because Independence Day was coming up when I started writing this. But I swear, celebrating the Fourth of July in the southern United States is one big game of "Were Those Gunshots or Fireworks?"™ (Name courtesy of my sister.)**

**So, for all the 'MURICANS out there, how did you guys spend the holiday? I was chilling by the pool, with s'mores and burgers. And for all the awesome readers not from the land of the free (actually for all the readers), what was your favorite part of the story? Feel free to point out any dialogue, or clever turns of phrase, or any actions from the characters.**

**Thanks, guys!**


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